Agitator for washing machines



' Aug-8, 1939. c. c. SCHEELE AGI1ATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed March5, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l IHVENT DR L/ZM/M ATTORNEY Aug. 8, 1939.

C. C. SCHEELE AGII'ATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed March 5, 1936 sSheet-Shaet 2 InvEHTuR' WITHE 5 5 ATTORNEY Aug. 8, 1939'.

C. C. SCHEELE m-rrA'roa i-"oR vmsruue MACHINES "Fil ed March 5, 1936 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT UR aMr/ZM TT DR HEY Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITEDSTATES 2,188,887 7 AGITATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES Charles C. Soheele,Syracuse, N. Y., aasignor to Easy Washing vMachine Corporation,

Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 5, 1936,Serial No. 67.333

8 Claims.

My invention relates to washing machines and, more particularly, to anovel agitator or dolly therefor.

An object of my invention is to provide an agitator for a washingmachine which is adapted to cleanse the clothes thoroughly and in aminimum length of time. I

Another object of my invention is to provide an agitator for a washingmachine which is adapted to oscillate the clothes backward and forwardin accordance with the oscillations of the agitator and which, at thesame time, causes an inward and outward movement of the clothes to andfrom the side walls of the vat.

My invention further contemplates the provision of an agitator having aplurality of blades, the blades being dissimilar in shape, one of the.blades being relatively wide at its mid-portion while the others ofsaid blades are relatively narrow at their mid-portions.

More specifically, my invention contemplates the provision of anagitator for a washing machine havinga plurality of blades extendingpreferably radially of a central post and preferably vat to the normalsurface level of cleansing fluid, the blades being dissimilar in shape,at least one of said blades being relatively wide at least near itscentral portion, and the remainder of said blades being relativelynarrow near their central portions.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent fromthe following description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing the preferred form of my invention andindicating a washing vat in which the agitator is mounted.

Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line ll of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view, partly in section, showing a modified form of myinvention and indicating a washing vat in which the agitator is mounted.

Figure 6 isa view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view taken on the line of Figure 5. I

Figure 8 is a view showing another mod fied form of my invention andindicating a washing vat in which the agitator is mounted.

extending from substantially the bottom of the Figure 11' is a viewtaken on the line l|-ll of Figure 8.

The agitator of my invention is adapted to be I mounted in a vat or tubII in which clothes and washing fluid are placed. The washing vat may beof any desired shape, either square or, as shown in the drawings,circular in cross section. The agitator, generally indicated bythenumeral I2, is preferably mounted centrally of the vat II and isdriven by a shaft l3 extending upwardly through the bottom of the vat.The drive shaft I! may be driven by any suitable mechanism and from anysuitable source of power, not necessary to be shown or described hereinsince such driving mechanism for oscillating the agitator is well knownin the art to which this invention applies. Preferably, the shaft isdriven in an oscillatory manner so as to drive the agitator through anarc of 180 degrees, more or less, and at a comparatively high rate ofspeed somewhere between flfty and sixty oscillations per minute.

The shaft I3 extends upward to or above the normal surface level ofcleansing fluid, and the agitator I 2 is preferably driven by the shaftin the manner. described in copending application Serial No. 55,050flied December 18, 1935, in the name of Peter Eduard Geldhoi'. A sleevell, extending concentric with the agitator shaft It, provides additionalsupport for the agitator as set forth in said application.

The agitator itself comprises a bottom plate or base I5 which ispreferably substantially flat and is mounted close to the bottom of thevat. Towards its central portion, as at IS, the base slopes upward and,merges into a central upstanding post l6 which rises to or above thenormal surface. level of cleansing fluid. Near the top of the agitatorand marking the normal surface level of cleansing fluid is an annularplate II which is formed integral with the agitator and which ispreferably somewhat. smaller in diameter than the base l5. On'the top ofthe plate i1 is mounted a cap it which may be .secured to the agitatorin any suitable manner.

The blades, preferably three in number, l9, 2| and 22, extend preferablyradially outward from the central post between the base It and the topplate H. In accordance with my invention, the blades are made dissimilarin shape, the blade I! being relatively wide while the blades II and 22,although they may be made dissimilar to each other, are preferably made,as shown in the drawings, similar to each. other. The outer edge of theblade l9, at its lowermost extremity, as indicated at 23, meets theouter periphery of the basei5, from which point it curves sharply upwardand inward to a point 26. From the point 24, the outer edge of the bladecurves outward and upward to a point 26 where the blade attains itsmaximum width, which is approximately at the vertical center of theblade. From the vertical center of the blade, the outer edge of theblade curves upward and inward to a point 2'4 where the blade attainsits minimum width, from which point the outer edge curves slightlyoutward and upward to merge with the top plate H at the point 28substantially at the periphery thereof.

The outer edges of the blades 2i and 22 meet the outer periphery of thebase i5 at 29. From this point, the outer edge of each of the bladesextends upward and slightly outward to a point 3i. From the point 3!,the outer edge of each of the blades curves upward and inward to a point32 where the blades attain their minimum width, which is substantiallyat the vertical center of the agitator. From the vertical center of theagitator, the blades extend upward and outward and meet the peripheraledge of the top plate I! at 33. The blades 2! and 22 thus attain theirminimum widths at the vertical center of the agitator, at which pointthe blade i9 is widest.

When the agitator is oscillated, the clothes and washing fluid areviolently agitated in the vat, the action being particularly vigorousperhaps because of the unbalanced condition of the blades. The bladeG9,,when it rotates in the clockwise direction, causes a movement of theclothes and washing fluid outward towards the side walls of the vat in aclockwise direction. If the agitator hadthree blades of equal size andshape, such as the agitator shown in Figures 6 and 7 .of the abovementioned co-pending Geldhof application, upon' reversel of theagitator, this movement, in the clockwise direction woud be interruptedby a force in the counterclockwise direction caused by the next adjacentblade. However, because the blade 22 is relatively narrow, when theagitator reverses it only partially counteracts this movement in aclockwise direction. When the blade i9 reverses and rotates in acounterclockwise direction, a slight suction is created behind it whichcauses the clothespreviously thrust outward in a clockwise direction tobe drawn inwardly from the side wals of the vat toward the agitator.

The movement of the clothes on the clockwise lacing side of the blade i9is thus somewhat circular in a clockwise direction, the path of movementbeing from the blade outward in a clockwise direction toward the sidewalls of the vat and then inward still slightly in a clockwise directiontoward the center of the agitator where they are drawn slightly in acounterclockwise direction in behind the blade [9. A similar outthe vat,causes two currents of clothes and fluid movement which extend outwardin a curved path awayfrom the blade ii! in clockwise andcounterclockwise directions. The main functions of the blades 2i and 22are to create cross currents and to keep the clothes and washing fluid,which happen to be in a position in the vat arse-ps7 such as to beeffected by them, in a state of agitation. Due to the fact that theblade is is much more vigorous in its action because oi its greaterarea, than the blades 2| and 22, the larger proportion of the clothesnormally is in that half of the vat through which the blade liloscillates.

The agitator of Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, is provided with preferablythree blades, 36, 37 and 38. The blade 36 is of considerable widththroughout its height. At its bottom edge, the blade extends to theperiphery of the base 55, as at 39, from which point the outer edgeextends upward and slightly inward to a point 4! where the blade attainsits minimum width. The blades 31 and 38, at their bottom edge 42, extendto the periphery of the base l5, from which point the outer edgesthereof extend upward and then sharply inward as at 53 to a point 44below the vertical center of the agitator where they attain theirminimum width. From the point 44, the outer edges of the-blades 31 and38 curve upward and outward to a point 66 near the top of the agitator.From the point 46, the outer edges of the blades extend upward andinward and above the point 41 they are the same shape as the blade 36.

The agitator of this modification is provided with a cap 48 which is ofsomewhat different shape than the cap I 8 of the preferred form of theinvention. The cap 48 is provided with a substantially bell-shaped dome49 which houses the connection between the shaft i3 and the agitatorthrough which the agitator is oscillated. From the lower edge 5| of thebell-shaped portion of the cap, the cap extends downward and is shapedin the form of a frustum of a cone as illustrated at 52, the lower edgeof which is beaded, as indicated at 53. The inner surface of the portion52 of the cap may contact with the edges of the blades 36, 31 and 38, asindicated at 54. The frusto-conical portion 52 of the cap 48 is providedwith a plurality of closely spaced apertures 56.

The action of the agitator of this modification is somewhat similar tothat above described in connection with the preferred form of theinvention. The apertures 66 serve to prevent entrainment of cleansingfluid beneath the cap, a constant inward and outward movement of thecleansing fluid occurring through the apertures, the surface of which ispreferably at the level of the top of the blades.

The agitator of Figures 8 to 11, inclusive, is provided with a pluralityof blades 51, 58 and 59, each of the blades being dissimilar in shape.The lower edge of the blade 51 extends'outward to the periphery of thebase i5, as at 6|, from which point the outer edge extends substantiallyvertically to the point 62 where it is rounded inward. From 62, theouter edge extends horizontaly inward to the point 64. From 64, theouter edge of the blade 51 curves sharply upward and inward to a point66 where the blade attains its minimum width. From the point 66, theouter edge of the blade curves upward and outward to a point 61 and theninward and upwardto meet the outer edge of a plate 68 mounted on the topof the blades. The outer edge of the blade 58, from the point 69 whereit meets the periphery of the disk i5, extends vertically upward to thepoint H, then curves smoothly inward to the point 12 where it attainsits minimum width, which is substantially at the vertical midpoint ofthe agitator. From the point 12, the

outer edge of the blade curves smoothly upward. to meet the peripheryof'the top plate 68 at 13.

The lower edge of the blade 59 extends to the periphery of the base I5at H from which point the outer edge curves upward and inward to thepoint 18. From the point 16, the outer edge extends upward and outwardto the point 11 approximately at the vertical midpoint of the agitatorwhere the blade attains its maximum width. From the point 11, the outeredge curves inward and upward to 18, and then outward and upward to meetthe periphery of the top plate at 19. As

shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11, in this modification, the blade faces, inhorizontal cross section,

merge with the center post It in a smooth curve, I

' .similar to the .cap l8, may be cast integral, the

center being cored out somewhat as indicated at IS.

The action of the agitator of this modification, in operation, issomewhat similar to that of the first two modifications, except that itis far more gentle in its action. This is probably due to the absence ofsharp angles between the blades and the center post It and to the factthat the blades 51 and 59 are both of comparatively large area so thatthe currents above described, in connection with the description of thepreferred form .of the invention, are largely broken up.

While I have shown the preferred forms of my invention, it will beapparent that various modiflcations and changes may be made in the formof the agitator and relation of parts thereof without departing from thespirit of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. An agitator adapted to be mounted for operation in a vat containingclothes and cleansing fluid, said agitator comprising a base, a centralportion extending upward from the base substantially to the normalsurface level of cleansing fluid in the vat, a plurality of bladesextending radially outward from the post, and a plate mounted on'the topof the blades and marking the normal surface level of cleansing fluid,at least two of said blades being of dissimilar shape, one of saidblades being of substantial width at substantially its vertical centerand of lesser width at the top and bottom, and another of said bladesbeing narrow at substantially its vertical center and wider at its topand bottom.

2. An agitator adapted to bemounted for operation in a vat containingclothes and cleansing fluid, said agitator comprising a base, a centralportion extending upward from the base substantiallyto the normalsurface level of cleansing fluid in the vat, a plurality of bladesextending radially outward from the post and a plate mounted on the topof the blades and marking the normal surface level of cleansing fluid,at least two of said blades being 'of dissimilar shape, one of saidblades being of substantial width at substantially its vertical centerand of lesser width at the top and another of said blades being narrowat substantially its vertical center and wider at its top and bottom.-

3. An agitator adapted to be mounted for operation in a vat containingclothes and cleansing fluid, said agitator comprising a base, a centralportionextending upward from the base substantially to the normalsurface level of cleansing fluid in the vat, a plurality of bladesextending substantially radially outward from the post and a platemounted on the top of the blades and marking the normal surface level ofcleansing fluid, one of said blades being of substantial width-throughout substantially its entire height, a second of said bladesbeing narrow at its vertical center and relatively wide at its top andbottom and a third of said blades being wide at the bottom, relativelynarrow at a point approaching its vertical center and wide at the top. Y

4. An agitator adapted to be mounted for operation in a vat containingclothes and cleansing fluid, said agitator comprising a central portionextending upward from substantially the bottom of the vat tosubstantially the normal surface level of cleansing fluid in the vat, aplurality of blades extending outward from the post, one of said bladesbeing of substantial width at substantially its vertical center and oflesser width at the top and another of said blades being narrow atsubstantially its vertical center and wider. at its top and bottom.

'5. An agitator adapted to be mounted for operation in a vat containingclothes and cleansing fluid, said agitator comprising a central portionand a plurality of blades extending outward from said central portion,and a cap extending over the tops of said blades, said cap having a hoodportion extending downward along the outer side edges of the blades,said hood having perforations therein.

CHARLES C. SCI-111E132

